Philly to CT, avoiding NYC

I-95 to I-287 and around back to I-95 should be perfectly doable and not too unpleasant. Anything much better would seem to require going rather far out of your way.

Do not take any of the parkways in Connecticut, even though the Merritt in particular may look inviting on the map. They are restricted to small vehicles only, with good reason. Your RV would not fit through some of the underpasses (besides being excluded by law).

NO NO NO!!!

DO NOT take the GW Bridge! In addition to terrible traffic issues, there are propane restrictions that require you to be in the proper lane to get on the upper deck. On the other side of the Hudson, the Cross Bronx Expressway and the Bruckner are a maze of construction zones and rough road conditions.

There must be at least 100 threads here just in the past year about ways around NYC. Most people go I-95 to the Garden State Pkwy, to the Tappan Zee Bridge to rejoin I-95 west of New Haven. We ran this route a couple of times on Sunday and there was just normal traffic with few backups.

DrewE wrote:
I-95 to I-287 and around back to I-95 should be perfectly doable and not too unpleasant. Anything much better would seem to require going rather far out of your way.

Do not take any of the parkways in Connecticut, even though the Merritt in particular may look inviting on the map. They are restricted to small vehicles only, with good reason. Your RV would not fit through some of the underpasses (besides being excluded by law).

Like this?

https://goo.gl/maps/gYjaY9tNhb32

I don't see how to dump out onto I95 in CT any farther east.

Thanks!

jplante4 wrote:
NO NO NO!!!

DO NOT take the GW Bridge! In addition to terrible traffic issues, there are propane restrictions that require you to be in the proper lane to get on the upper deck. On the other side of the Hudson, the Cross Bronx Expressway and the Bruckner are a maze of construction zones and rough road conditions.

There must be at least 100 threads here just in the past year about ways around NYC. Most people go I-95 to the Garden State Pkwy, to the Tappan Zee Bridge to rejoin I-95 west of New Haven. We ran this route a couple of times on Sunday and there was just normal traffic with few backups.

Like this?

https://goo.gl/maps/bYJrW1HKd4m

Like my post above, I don't see how to reconnect with i95 any further east in CT.

Thanks!

Having spent many a year in the Megopolis, I would like to add another NO to the GW bridge plan.

That makes it NO NO NO !!! NO

The Tappen Zee is where you should cross the Hudson.

When you get there, you may find out why Connecticut is loosing population so fast that they just can't keep the tax base intact.

Matt

texasAUtiger wrote:
Like this?

https://goo.gl/maps/gYjaY9tNhb32

I don't see how to dump out onto I95 in CT any farther east.

Thanks!

That's good. I'll add a couple of observations. Firstly, the Tappan Zee Bridge is scary. I'd take it with an RV 100 times before I'd tow over the GW, though.

Secondly, I'd take the NJ Turnpike instead of 295. Sure, it's got tolls but it's a MUCH better ride with MUCH less traffic. The cars on 295 don't pay any attention to the fact that you're big and heavy. They'll cut you off left and right. With the construction taking place around the Route 42 & I-676 interchanges, I-295 is a mess in that area. You'll have a much happier experience (with much less butt-clenchng) if you just start out on the NJ Turnpike.

texasAUtiger wrote:
Like this?

https://goo.gl/maps/bYJrW1HKd4m

Like my post above, I don't see how to reconnect with i95 any further east in CT.

Thanks!

You don't need to take I-287 around the corner. Here's the route I've taken several times, weekends and weekdays. Sundays are best

I-95 to Woodbridge, Garden State Parkway to I-287, across the Tappan Zee, stay on I-287 which reconnects to I-95 in Port Chester CT.

jplante4 wrote:

texasAUtiger wrote:
Like this?

https://goo.gl/maps/bYJrW1HKd4m

Like my post above, I don't see how to reconnect with i95 any further east in CT.

Thanks!

You don't need to take I-287 around the corner. Here's the route I've taken several times, weekends and weekdays. Sundays are best

I-95 to Woodbridge, Garden State Parkway to I-287, across the Tappan Zee, stay on I-287 which reconnects to I-95 in Port Chester CT.

This would be the way to go.

My wife navigates our trips, but going north on the tappenzee is the toll side I believe! I wouldn't go that way. Too expensive. I know that we use rte9 in CT when we go south and coming back

jplante4 wrote:

texasAUtiger wrote:
Like this?

https://goo.gl/maps/bYJrW1HKd4m

Like my post above, I don't see how to reconnect with i95 any further east in CT.

Thanks!

You don't need to take I-287 around the corner. Here's the route I've taken several times, weekends and weekdays. Sundays are best

I-95 to Woodbridge, Garden State Parkway to I-287, across the Tappan Zee, stay on I-287 which reconnects to I-95 in Port Chester CT.

Thank you! Just for posterity, I'll post the google maps link:

https://goo.gl/maps/nvapY2pRXPG2

This is very helpful. I have the next leg of my northeastern route (CT-RI-MA) that I'd appreciate your opinion on, but I'll put that in its own thread.